Box-fastener.



Nb. 686,27l. Patented Nov. l2, 190i. J. J. DILLENBECK & E. FLUESIL BUX FASTENER.

(Application filed Apr. 13, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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JACOB J. DILLENBECK AND EMIL FLUESO, OF PULASKI, NElV YORK.

BOX-FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATIDN forming part of Letters Patent No. 68 6,271, dated November 12, 1901.

Application filed April 13, 1901. Serial No. 55,713. (No modeli) To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JACOB J.DILLENBEGK, a citizen of the United States, and EMIL FLU- ESO, a subject of the German Emperor, both residing at Pulaski, in the county of Oswego and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Box-Fastener, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for fastening the lids of boxes, and has for its object to provide an improved device of this character which may be conveniently applied to the interior of a box so as to be housed and protected thereby and at the same time arranged for convenient access from the exterior of the bOX to permit of the releasing of the fastening. It is furthermore designed to provide the device in the nature of a spring-catch and to form the same from a single blank of metal, so that the fastening may be applied as a whole, and thereby obviate any separate or loosely-connected parts, which are subject to displacement, breakage, and loss.

A further object is to reduce to a minim um the cost of manufacture of the article by pro ducing the same with as few mechanical steps as possible.

\Vith these and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings,and particularly pointed out in the appended claim, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claim without departing from the spirit or sacrificing anyof the advantages V of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of a box provided with the present form of lid-fastener. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional View taken through the front of the box and the fastener. Fig. 3 is a detail elevation looking at the inner side of the front of the box and showing the fastener in place. Fig. 4 is a detail View of the blank from which the fastening is formed. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the fastener.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawings.

To illustrate the application and operation of the fastener, there has been shown in the drawings a box 1, having the usual lid 2 hinged thereto in any suitable manner and provided with a pendent marginal rim or flange 3 to rest upon the top edge of the body of the box. It will be understood that these parts are common and well known, and therefore may have any preferred form orshape.

In carrying out the invention there is pro vided a spring-catch formed from a single blank of sheet metal, of which the substantially oblong body portion 4 forms an attaching-plate, and has a spring-tongue 5 projected laterally in the plane of the attaching-plate and from the middle of what is normally the top edge of the plate. In order that the springtongue may be rendered more easily yieldable or, in other words,to reduce the stiffness thereof, the substantially V-shaped notches or incicisions 6 are cut at opposite edges of,tl1e tongue and extend transversely into the attachingplate for about one-half of the Width thereof. It will be observed that the tongue is of the same width throughout its entire length, the inner edge of each slit or incision being made in the line of the adjacent edge of the tongue, and the opposite edge of the incision being inclined inwardly to the edge of the tongue By the provision of the notches or incisions 6 the base of the plate is disposed approximately midway of the width of the body portion, thereby bringing the finger-piece, hereinafter described, at or about the center of the bodyportion, thus obviating the necessity of bending the tongue for this purpose, as is usual with devices of this character, saving thereby a step in the manufacture of the finished article and proportionately reducing the cost of its production. Adjacent to the outer free end of the tongue a portion thereof is struck outwardly, as at 7, so as to incline outwardly from the tongue and inwardly toward the attaching-plate, and thereby form a catch projection.

At the base of the tongue the latter is bent or struck laterally outward into a substantially cylindrical stud or finger-piece 8, projected entirely at the front side of the fastenor, and also upon the same side with the catch projection, the finger-piece,however,being projected outward beyondthe catch projection. Suitable perforations 9 are formed in the opposite end portions of the attachingplate and substantially midwayof the width thereof.

In fitting the fastener to a box, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, the flat attaching-plate is applied against the inner side of the front of the box, with the spring-tongue projected above the upper edge of the box, so as to overlap the joint between the box and the lid when the lat-ter is closed, suitable fastenings 10 being driven through the front of the box and also through the perforations in the attaching-plate, the inner ends of said fastenings being upset against the inner side of the box-front, as plainly indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. It will of course be understood that the front of the box has been previously provided with an opening 11 for the reception of the finger-piece of the springfastening, whereby said finger-piece is accessible from the exterior of the box, and the remaining portions of the fastener are effectually housed within the box. Any suitable keeper-as, for instance, a pin 12driven inwardly through the front of the box, or, to be more correct, through the front rim of the lid and immediately above the opening for the reception of the finger-piece, may be provided for engagement by the catch projection of the fastener, whereby the lid is locked against accidental opening. To release the lid, or, rather, the spring-catch, it is merely necessary to press inwardly upon the fingerpiece, which is projected slightly beyond the front of the box, whereby the spring-tongue will be forced inwardly or rearwardly to clear the catch 7 from the projection or keeper 12, and thereby disengage the fastener from the lid.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that the parts of the spring-fastener are integrally connected, so as to obviate loss or derangement of any individual part, and the attaching-plate is in substantially the same plane with the spring-tongue, whereby the device may lie fiat against the front of the box, and thereby take up but very little space withinthebox. Likewise, itoffersnointernal projections to be caught into the contents of the box or otherwise interfere with the opening and shutting of the lid. Moreover, there is no portion of the blank which is folded back upon itself, and thereby liable to become cracked and broken under thespringing movement of the tongue, and thus the strength and durability of the fastener are increased.

As best indicated in Fig. 2, it will be observed that the portion of the tongue which is struck out to form the catch 7 forms a beveled surface against which the keeper projection 12 strikes during the closing of the lid to automatically force the spring-tongue rear- Wardly to make way for the keeper whereby the spring-tongue has no abrupt projections to interfere with the proper closing of the lid.

It will be observed that the finger-piece is located substantially midway between the top and bottom edges of the attaching plate, whereby the intermediate portion of the latter forms a spring to resist inward pressure upon the finger-piece, and thus it requires a definite or positive pressure to disengage the catch from the lid, and a slight accidental pressure will not be sufficient to release the lid.

\Vhat is claimed is- A box-fastening formed from a single piece of metal and comprising a rectangular body portion having a tongue projecting from one side thereof, the metal of the body portion on each side of the tongue being removed to dispose the base of the tongue approximately midway of the width of the body portion, the base portion of the tongue being struck up to form an outward-extending approximately cylindrical finger-piece, and the free end of the tongue being formed into a catch arranged at an angle to the length of the tongue and projecting in substantially the same direction as the finger-piece.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

JACOB J. DILLENBEOK. EMIL FLUESO. Witnesses:

JAMES L. Moan, IRVING G. HUBBS. 

